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Eliminating One Misdemeanor

Misdemeanor charges can range from shoplifting to traffic violations to more serious crimes like domestic battery or possession of illegal drugs.

New legislation seeks to expand the "Youthful Offender Act" that allows one misdemeanor charge to be removed from your record.

The bill would officially erase the conviction from public files, require defendants wait four years to make the request and allow them to file at any age.

Currently law states that defendants under 21 years of age can request their record cleared only at sentencing.

"It's pretty common if an individual has no prior criminal record and is convicted of a misdemeanor," Rich White. "Unless you have some sort of aggravating circumstances, we would normally agree to expungement."

The bill was approved by the Assembly's Corrections and Courts Committee, but has not been scheduled for the floor.

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